02 13AU Doomsday Averted
by NewDrWhoFan
Summary: 10Rose, "Doomsday" AU. Yay! This'll launch my AU Series 3.
1. Ghost Floor

_Alrighty! Everyone cried out from Doomsday? Good, that's done._

_I'm finished with the TV show canon; it's AU time! This story begins the branching-off. Think of it as a sequel to my stories, "The Girl in the Stalking Spaceship", "Age of Bronze", "Lantern Extinguished", "Gravity Schmavity", "Love and Monsters", "Show Her, Tell Her", and "Ghost of a Chance", but replacing "Through the Gloom and Doom"._

_This is as yet un-beta'd, so please be merciful._

_Disclaimer: Surprise, surprise, I don't own Doctor Who. Nor do I get anything from writing these stories--except wonderful, constructive reviews! Wink, wink; nudge, nudge ;)_

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Chapter 1, Ghost Floor

Rose and the Doctor raced from the levers to their respective magnaclamps as the system came online. From his place on the wall opposite Rose, the Doctor glanced over his left shoulder at the sound of breaking glass. In flew the first Daleks, being pulled straight through the breach.

"The breach is open, into the void! Ha!" the Doctor shouted, as Cybermen and Daleks continued to fly across the room between him and Rose. He returned Rose's smile, both clinging to their clamps, being only lightly buffeted by the "wind" that was drawing their enemies to their doom.

Suddenly, a shower of sparks erupted from the right-hand lever, as it slowly moved out of the locked position. "Offline," the computer voice reported.

The Doctor quickly kicked out, just catching the lever with the toe of his shoe.

"Doctor!" shouted Rose.

"I've just--" he grunted out, trying to pull the lever into position, "gotta get it--" he reached out with his right arm, keeping his left hooked around the clamp, "locked!" he said, letting his grip on the magnaclamp slide so that he was only holding on with his hand, giving him the necessary reach to grab hold of the lever at last.

"Hold on!" Rose screamed at him.

The Doctor leveraged his feet against the base, and pulled for all he was worth. Slowly, he returned the lever to the upright position. "Online and locked," the system reported.

Instantly, the suction increased, leaving the Doctor scrambling to regain his grip on the magnaclamp. Kicking against the base of the lever, he managed to hook his left elbow back through the grip. He hung, panting from his exertion, then looked up at Rose. He could see the terror only slowly receding from her face, and realized he, himself, was shaking. Nevertheless, he smiled, and she sent him an answering grin. "Piece of cake," he shouted across to her, and she laughed.

It seemed all the Cybermen and Daleks had gone, and the Doctor was only waiting for the breach to self-seal. Just as he'd predicted, a calm suddenly filled the room as the breach closed.

"That's it, then?" Rose asked, still holding tightly to her magnaclamp.

"That's it!" answered the Doctor, letting go, and stepping away from the wall.

Rose was in his arms before he'd made it halfway across the room to her.

"Oh, Rose," he said, holding her against his chest, his chin resting atop her head. "My brilliant, amazing, stubborn Rose," he laughed. In answer, she only squeezed more tightly around his middle.

It was finally sinking in: she'd come back to him. He had sent her away, prepared to live the rest of his life without her, thinking she needed to be with her family, above all else.

But she'd come back. For him. Again. He kissed her hair as she clung to him.

After a good minute or so of calm, Rose pulled back to arm's length. She smiled at the Doctor, then looked over at the blank, white wall.

"We really did it, yeah?" she asked, still looking at the wall. Her face fell slightly as she asked, "It's sealed for good?"

The Doctor swallowed, realizing she was thinking of Jackie, and Mickey, and Pete. "I'm sorry," he said.

Rose looked back at him, shaking her head with a half-smile. "No, 's alright," she told him. "I sorta got to say goodbye, didn't I? Before you tried to get rid of me?" she poked him hard in the chest at that, and the Doctor had the good grace to look contrite as he took her hands. "'Sides, Mum's got Mickey, an' I'm pretty sure Pete'll look after her, too," she said, glancing back over at the wall.

The Doctor thought things through. There was a chance, a--quite literally--tiny chance that a few small gaps might remain. The breach was sealed, to be sure, but elsewhere on the planet, somewhere out along the edges, so to speak . . . . "Rose," he said, giving her hands a squeeze, "now, don't get your hopes up, but we should scan the planet. There might be a small hole left, and we might, I stress 'might', be able to get a message across."

She gave him a small smile. "Really?"

"Maybe," he repeated. "But right now," he led her by the hand from the room, "I think we should probably get out of here." It wouldn't take long for the local authorities to trace the Cybermen and Daleks to Canary Wharf.

Rose followed him, but pulled away just before leaving the room. "Hang on," she said, running back over to the wall and releasing her magnaclamp. "Could come in useful, yeah?" she asked, coming back to the Doctor's side.

"What, with the shopping?" he asked.

"Ya never know what," Rose answered, taking his hand again, as they left to find the TARDIS.

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_To be continued._


	2. Dålig Ulv Stranden

_A day early, just for you, Jessa7 ;) But you'll have to give me some more time for the sequel!_

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Chapter 2, Dålig Ulv Stranden

Rose knew just what the Doctor was up to. He'd spent every waking moment of the past week searching the world over for a last, little gap between universes. And the non-waking moments had been few and far between. In fact, she couldn't be sure he'd slept at all.

Once again, the Doctor was blaming himself.

Rose was sure that if she'd been stuck with Jackie, he'd be blaming himself for that, too. But now, he was blaming himself for their separation, even though it was Rose's choice to come back.

At last, however, the end was in sight. The Doctor had located a-hopefully-suitable gap near India, then had flown the TARDIS out in search of a power source. He was, at present, putting the finishing touches on the holographic interface.

She only hoped that once this was over, they could go back to the way things had been between them. Rose was _not _going to tolerate a moping, guilt-ridden Time Lord for much longer.

"You really think this'll work?" Rose asked the Doctor from across the TARDIS console. She was more nervous than doubtful as the Doctor connected wires, flipped switches, and sonic-ed almost everything in sight.

"We've got the power, now, from the supernova," he told her, "and the interface should work through the gap, provided your Mum gets to her end of it. And from how strong the connection feels now, I'd say she's there."

The Doctor had made quite a show of reluctance at having to contact her mother psychically, but said her mind stood out even more than Mickey's because of how new she was to the alternate universe.

"Let's do it, then," said Rose. "You ready yet?"

The Doctor finished his jiggery pokery, then came over to Rose, positioning her in front of the-well, camera, he'd finally called it, for lack of a better term. He then went back over to the console, activating the interface. "Can you see anything?" he asked her.

"I can see her!" Rose exclaimed, looking over at the Doctor, then turning back to the image of her mother. "Hi, mum," she said, waving, as Jackie walked up to her along what looked like a beach.

"It's really you!" Jackie said, hands over her mouth in disbelief. She then shook her fists at her sides in annoyance. "I could've killed that Doctor. Nearly thought I'd lost my mind, chasin' a voice all this way!"

"It's me," said Rose, feeling tears spring to her eyes. "The Doctor figured it out, how we could talk to you."

"You look all see-through 'n stuff," Jackie observed.

"Hang on," the Doctor murmured from the console, while he held his sonic screwdriver to one of the components. "Better?" he asked Rose.

"That better?" Rose asked her Mum.

"Oh, Rose," Jackie raised her arms, but Rose stopped her.

"It's just a projection, Mum, a hologram. I can't hug you."

Jackie nodded her understanding. "You alright?" she asked.

"I'm great, Mum, just fine," Rose answered. "You?"

"Oh, yeah. I miss you, so much, but I'm doin' alright. Pete 'n Mickey've been great."

"Hang on, Mum," Rose turned to the Doctor. "How much time've we got?"

"About two minutes," he told her.

"We've only got a couple minutes, Mum, but I wanted to say goodbye properly."

"Can you do this hologram thingy again?" Jackie asked.

Rose shook her head. "Won't be able to talk to you at all, after this."

"Then I should tell you," said Jackie, with a smile, "you're a big sister."

"What?" asked Rose, shocked.

"Yeah, I'm about a month gone already. Just found out. We're thinkin' Lily for a girl, Anthony if it's a boy."

"But, how?" stammered Rose. "I mean, who-"

"Well, it's Pete, innit?" said Jackie. "Got married six months ago. Told everyone we're just renewin' our vows, but it was a proper weddin', just beautiful."

Six months ago? "Mum, you've been gone a week," said Rose.

"Actually-" the Doctor attempted to intervene.

"A week? I've been here a year!" corrected Jackie.

"Time moves differently in diff-" the Doctor tried again.

"Oh, shut up," Rose and Jackie told him at the same time.

A week for her, a year for her Mum. Rose sighed, then looked up at Jackie. "I love you. I just want you to know that. And thank you for everything you've ever done for me, and I'm never ever gonna forget you, I promise."

"I love you too, Rose. I'll always love you, sweetheart. An' your little brother or sister's gonna hear all about you, I promise." Rose smiled as Jackie wiped at her eyes. "Where's that Doctor? I got a thing or two to say to him."

Rose beckoned the reluctant Doctor over to her. He stepped up behind her, so that Jackie could see him.

"You take care of her, Doctor, you hear me?" she told him. "There's no more sendin' her home if things get dicey. You're all she's got, an' for some reason, that's all she wants." Rose bit her lip to keep from smiling. "I'm not gonna make you promise to keep her safe, but-" her words were cut off by her tears.

The Doctor put his hands on Rose's shoulders. "I promise I'll take care of her, Jackie," he said.

"I love you, Mum," said Rose again, knowing time was short. "Say 'bye to Mickey and Pete for me."

"I will. I love y-"

And she was gone.

Rose took a deep breath, knowing she was close to breaking down. She felt the Doctor squeeze her shoulders, and she turned into his embrace. "Thank you," she managed against his jacket.

"Thank you," he said. "For coming back."

Rose smiled weakly up at him through her tears, then gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Never gonna leave ya," she told him.

She got a genuine smile from him then, the first in days, and was happy to return it. To her delight, he pulled her back to him, and gave her the kiss she'd been dying for ever since this whole Cybermen fiasco had begun.

It was cut much too short for Rose's liking, when a small squeak sounded from somewhere behind her, followed by some rather insistent throat-clearing. The Doctor broke away with a soft "pop", followed by a "What?" as he stared, shocked, over Rose's shoulder.

Rose turned in the Doctor's arms to see a woman in a wedding dress standing next to the TARDIS' console. "Who are you?" the woman asked.

"But-" was the Doctor's eloquent reply.

"Where am I?" the bride asked. Rose turned her head back to her from the Doctor, feeling like she was watching a ping pong match.

"What?" asked the Doctor, still holding Rose close to him.

"What the hell is this place?" she demanded.

_"What?" _

Rose was impressed. She had no idea who this woman was, but she'd already significantly decreased the Doctor's vocabulary.

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_The end._

_"Runaway Bride" to follow :)_


End file.
